14 Water Resources in the Sahel and Adaptation …
317
Fig. 7 Burkina Faso aquifer type and productivity (BGS Earthwise 2013)
3 Impacts of Climate Change
3.1 The Agricultural Sector
Irrigation accounts for 64% of total water consumption. In Burkina Faso, as in most
Sahelian countries, climate variability and change pose a threat to agriculture and,
by extension, to food security. The major rainfall disruptions experienced during the
2007–2008 agricultural season, characterized by an early end of the rainy season at
the beginning of September, caused a 16% drop in cereal production compared to
the 2006–2007 season and an 11% drop compared to the average of the previous five
seasons (Ibrahim et al. 2014). . Agricultural water conservation techniques adopted
by farmers have limited effect in stabilizing agricultural production when drought is
prolonged over two to three weeks (Barbier et al. 2009). This results in the cumulative
and irreversible decrease in the availability of fodder, which in turn pushes people
and herds southward. In addition, there is an increased frequency of drought and
317
Fig. 7 Burkina Faso aquifer type and productivity (BGS Earthwise 2013)
3 Impacts of Climate Change
3.1 The Agricultural Sector
Irrigation accounts for 64% of total water consumption. In Burkina Faso, as in most
Sahelian countries, climate variability and change pose a threat to agriculture and,
by extension, to food security. The major rainfall disruptions experienced during the
2007–2008 agricultural season, characterized by an early end of the rainy season at
the beginning of September, caused a 16% drop in cereal production compared to
the 2006–2007 season and an 11% drop compared to the average of the previous five
seasons (Ibrahim et al. 2014). . Agricultural water conservation techniques adopted
by farmers have limited effect in stabilizing agricultural production when drought is
prolonged over two to three weeks (Barbier et al. 2009). This results in the cumulative
and irreversible decrease in the availability of fodder, which in turn pushes people
and herds southward. In addition, there is an increased frequency of drought and